Ukraine/Russland/NATO – der Sammler am 17. März 2022 (m. Updates)

Nach drei Wochen russischen Angriffskriegs auf die Ukraine sind zunehmend nur langsame Geländegewinne der russischen Streitkräfte zu beobachten. Aber die Zivilisten werden immer mehr zur Zielscheibe in diesem Krieg. Die Waffenlieferungen des Westens gehen weiter und werden ausgeweitet. Der Sammler am 17. März 2022:

• Die Situation in der ostukrainischen Stadt Mariupol stehen im Zentrum der Aufmerksamkeit. Am (gestrigen) Mittwoch wurde nach ukrainischen Angaben ein Theatergebäude beschossen, in dem hunderte von Zivilisten Zuflucht gesucht hatten. Die russische Seite bestreitet das vehement, hier noch mal aus der Erklärung des russischen Verteidigungsministeriums vom Mittwochabend:

Am 16. März führte die russische Luftwaffe keine Angriffe auf Bodenziele im Stadtgebiet von Mariupol durch.
Zuverlässigen Berichten zufolge haben Kämpfer des nationalistischen Asow-Bataillons eine neue blutige Provokation durchgeführt, indem sie ein von ihnen vermintes Theatergebäude in die Luft gesprengt haben.
Zuvor war von Flüchtlingen, die aus Mariupol geflohen waren, bekannt geworden, dass die Nazis des Asow-Bataillons Zivilisten im Theatergebäude als Geiseln halten und die oberen Stockwerke als Schießstände nutzen konnten.
Angesichts der potenziellen Gefahr für das Leben von Zivilisten und der bereits am 9. März von den Nationalisten durchgeführten Provokation mit dem Krankenhaus Nr. 3 in Mariupol wurde das Theatergebäude im Stadtzentrum nie als Angriffsziel in Betracht gezogen.

• Das Morgenbriefing des ukrainischen Generalstabs vom Donnerstagmorgen:

The state, position and nature of the actions of the defense forces have not changed significantly during the last day. The Armed Forces of Ukraine continued to inflict devastating kicks on groups of enemy troops trying to consolidate and hold the defense of the captured frontiers.
During the past 24hrs, Ukrainian defenders destroyed the command post and support units of the 35th All-Military Army of the Eastern Military District of the Armed Forces of the russian federation, and the enemy’s losses are being clarified.
In addition, for the previous day, thanks to the skill of Anti-aircraft missile forces of the Air Force and Air defense of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed ten enemy air targets: two Su-34 fighter-bomber, three Su-34SM fighters, three helicopters and UAVs. Information on the type of another downed plane and the deaths of pilots is being clarified. Units of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to work actively to deprive the occupiers of aircraft of the ability to dominate the air.
The enemy, unsuccessful in conducting a ground operation, continues to launch missile and bomb strikes on the infrastructure and densely populated areas of Ukrainian cities.
The Russian occupiers continue to act insidiously in the information space – carrying out cyber attacks, physically destroying broadcast relay station of television and radio signals, continuing a mass information campaign to discredit the top military and political leadership of Ukraine and the Defense Forces.
At the same time, the enemy continues to actively spread misinformation about the course of the so-called „special operation“ among its own population.
The occupying forces continue to suffer losses. They have big problems with the staffing of combat units and support units. The enemy’s personnel were demoralized, which led to an increase in the number of desertions and the refusal of servicemen of the armed forces of the russian federation to take part in the war on the territory of Ukraine.

• Das britische Intelligence Update am Morgen:

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has largely stalled on all fronts.
Russian forces have made minimal progress on land, sea or air in recent days and they continue to suffer heavy losses.
Ukrainian resistance remains staunch and well-coordinated. The vast majority of Ukrainian territory, including all major cities, remains in Ukrainian hands.

• Das Morgenbriefing des russischen Verteidigungsministeriums (auch auf Englisch veröffentlicht) – erstaunlich viel Raum nimmt darin, erneut, der Vorwurf der Biowaffenforschung von USA und Ukraine ein:

Briefing by Russian Defence Ministry
▫️ The grouping of troops of the Lugansk People’s Republic conducted successful hostilities against Ukrainian nationalists from several directions inside Severodonetsk and Rubezhnoye during the night.
▫️ Units of the Donetsk People’s Republic are continuing offensive to capture Maryinka, Slavnoye and Sladkoye. The advance was 4 kilometers.
▫️On the evening of March 16, high-precision missiles delivered an air strike on ammunition storage in Sarny, Rovnenskaya region. Storage facilities with missiles and ammunition, including missiles for the Tochka-U tactical complex, were destroyed.
💥 In total, over the past day, aviation and air defence of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down 1 Ukrainian helicopter Mi-24 and 1 Mi-8, as well as 12 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, including 3 Bayraktar TB-2.
✈️💥 Operational-tactical and army aviation hit 46 military assets of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Among them: 11 anti-aircraft missile systems, including S-300 division, 1 multiple launch rocket system, 3 command posts, 1 electronic warfare station, 7 ammunition depots and 18 areas of military equipment concentration.
💥 In total, 181 Ukrainian aircraft and helicopters, 172 unmanned aerial vehicles, 170 anti-aircraft missile systems, 1,379 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 133 multiple launch rocket systems, 514 field artillery and mortars, as well as 1,168 units of special military vehicles were destroyed during the operation.
❗☣️ The Russian Defence Ministry continues to study documents received from employees of Ukrainian laboratories on the implementation of military biological programs by the United States and its NATO allies on the territory of Ukraine.
▫️Russian specialists of nuclear, biological and chemical protection troops have studied original documents revealing details of the implementation of a secret project by the United States in Ukraine to study ways of transmitting diseases to humans through bats at a laboratory in Kharkov.
▫️I want to emphasize that according to the documents, these studies were carried out in Kharkov on a systematic basis and under the direct supervision of specialists from the United States for many years.
▫️Within the American project, the Kharkov Institute of Veterinary Medicine studied wild birds as way for the transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza. At the same time, the conditions were assessed under which the transmission processes can become uncontrollable, cause economic damage, and create food security risks.
📄 New documents on the export of a large amount of human biomaterials from the territory of Ukraine to the UK and other European countries will be presented.
▫️In the near future, we will show another set of documents received from Ukrainian employees of biological laboratories and present the results of their assessment.

Die erneuten Vorwürfe, in der Ukraine habe es mit Unterstützung der USA Forschung für Biowaffen gegeben, führte das russische Verteidigungsministerium später weiter aus.

• Zur Situation in Mariuopol – s. dazu die russische Aussage im ersten Text oben – ein Bericht der Kolleg*innen von Associated Press:

Rescuers searched for survivors Thursday in the ruins of a theater blown apart by a Russian airstrike in the besieged city of Mariupol, while scores of Ukrainians across the country were killed in ferocious urban attacks on a school, a hostel and other sites.
Hundreds of civilians had been taking shelter in the grand, columned theater in central Mariupol after their homes were destroyed in three weeks of fighting in the southern port city of 430,000.
More than a day after the airstrike, there were no reports of deaths. With communications disrupted across the city, there were also conflicting reports on whether anyone had emerged from the rubble.

• Die am frühen Abend veröffentlichte Lagekarte des französischen Verteidigungsministeriums:

• Das Abendbriefing des russischen Verteidigungsministeriums:

Briefing des russischen Verteidigungsministeriums (17.03.2022)
Die Streitkräfte der Russischen Föderation setzen ihre erfolgreiche Offensive fort und haben die Siedlungen Nowomajorskoje und Peschistowka unter ihre Kontrolle gebracht. Das Vorrücken im Laufe des Tages belief sich auf 10 Kilometer.
Im Laufe des Tages schossen die russischen Luft- und Raumfahrtkräfte einen ukrainischen Mi-24-Hubschrauber in der Nähe der Siedlung BELKI sowie fünf ukrainische unbemannte Luftfahrzeuge, darunter ein Bayraktar TB-2, ab.
💥 Operativ-taktische, militärische und unbemannte Luftfahrzeuge haben 29 ukrainische Militäreinrichtungen getroffen. Darunter: ein Mehrfachraketenwerfer, drei Gefechtsstände, darunter ein mobiler Feldbrigadegefechtsstand, sechs Munitionsdepots und 14 Munitionssammelstellen.
Seit Beginn der militärischen Sonderoperation wurden insgesamt 182 ukrainische Flugzeuge und Hubschrauber, 177 unbemannte Luftfahrzeuge, 1.393 Panzer und andere gepanzerte Kampffahrzeuge, 134 Mehrfachraketenwerfer, 523 Feldartillerie- und Mörsergeschütze und 1.182 militärische Spezialfahrzeuge zerstört.

(Übersetzt mit DeepL.com)

• Die Slowakei hat sich bereiterklärt, aus ihrem Bestand Flugabwehrsysteme des Typs S-300 an die Ukraine zu liefern – nach einem Besuch des US-Verteidigungsminister Lloyd Austin in Bratislava, wie die Washington Post berichtet:

Slovakia’s defense minister said Thursday that his country is prepared to send long-range surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine “immediately” — provided that Western allies give them a “proper replacement” to avoid creating a security gap.
“The only strategic air defense system that we have in Slovakia is the S-300 system,” the defense minister, Jaroslav Nad’, said, referring to powerful Soviet-origin weapons that would enable the Ukrainian military to shoot down Russian warplanes flying several miles above the ground. Ukraine had a few before the invasion and has pleaded for more as Russian forces have intensified their bombardment of key cities.

Die Slowakei pocht im Gegenzug darauf, dass andere NATO-Länder die Lücke in der Luftverteidigung des Landes schließen. Da passt es, dass Deutschland – zusammen mit den Niederlanden – bereits Patriot-Staffeln in Marsch gesetzt hat. Drei davon sollen in dem Land, das an die Ukraine grenzt, zwei Orte stationär sichern; ein drittes System soll mobil zusammen mit einer neuen NATO-Battlegroup eingesetzt werden.

• Das tägliche Briefing im Pentagon, offensichtlich vor der obigen Ankündigung der Slowakei zur Lieferung von S-300; zusammengefasst von Jeff Seldin von der Voice of America:

NEW: #Russia’s stalled invasions of #Ukraine – „In virtually every area…for now 3 weeks there really hasn’t been much practical changes“ per a senior US defense official
Russia now has launched +1,000 missiles, official adds
#Kyiv – „What we’ve seen is them [#Russia] approaching…from the north & NW…15km from city center“ per a senior US defense official
Russian forces approaching from the east also still about 30km from Kyiv
But long-range fires continue to „wear the city down“
#Russia’s forces trying to advance on #Kyiv „basically where they were before“ per a senior US defense official
BUT „there’s a lot of fighting going on“ official adds, noting active #Ukraine resistance
#Russia troop morale – „We have anecdotal indications that Russian morale is flagging…that morale is not high in some units“ per a senior US defense official
„Some of that, we blv is a function of poor leadership, lack of information the troops are getting abt their missions“
MORE: senior US defense official says „flagging“ #Russia|n morale may also be due to Russian troops becoming disillusioned by the stiff resistance from #Ukraine forces
#S300s for #Ukraine? „We are continuing to work w/allies & partners on the possibility of helping #Ukraine w/long-range air defense systems…we’re having these discussions“ per a senior US defense official
„We’re working on it real hard…No decisions have been made w/any one nations w/what’s being called ‚backfill'“ per a senior US defense official
re: getting new defense systems for countries who could provide S-300 to #Ukraine
#Ukraine air space still contested, per a senior US defense official
No major changes from either #Russia, #Ukraine air forces for how they are flying, number of sorties
#Russia activity in #BlackSea- US „seeing several surface ships, abt half a dozen or so, off the coast, not far from #Odesa“ per a senior US defense official
„We’re not sure what they’re planning to do…“ per official, noting presence of amphibious ships, frigates
#Russia continuing to move its rearguard closer to advancing elements targeting #Kyiv, especially artillery, likely in preparation for a siege, per a senior US defense official
#Russia missile launches vs #Ukraine – „We have seen an increase of strikes on civilian infrastructure & civilians targets“ per a senior US defense official
#Russia using fewer PGMs -„It’s possible they might be conserving their precision guided munitions or are starting to experience shortages“ per a sr US defense official
„We still assess they have a significant amt of their combat power available to them“ per official
#Moscow’s info ops -„We have seen a continuation of Russian attempt to blame stuff they’re doing on the #Ukrainians“ especially in #Donbas area, per a sr US defense official
„Outside of #Russia we have not seen their information operations really find purchase“ per official
#Russia state media – „a lot of their coverage is of the #Donbas area & accusations of #Ukrainian terrorism“ the senior US defense official adds
„I think you can see from the way Mr. Zelenskyy [@ZelenskyyUa] was received in Congress yesterday, from both sides of the aisle, indicates #Russia|n propaganda is not penetrating“ in the US, per a senior US defense official
#Russia „still struggling“ to maintain forces in #Ukraine, per a senior US defense official
„Just that they’re talking abt resupply & resourcing tells you that their beginning to get concerned abt longevity here“ per the official
#Russia’s struggles in #Ukraine – „They [Russia] clearly were not prepared for them to be in the position they are 3 weeks in, basically frozen…on multiple lines of axis“ per a senior US defense official
#Russia – „They haven’t occupied that much“ in #Ukraine, per a senior US defense official
„Thet they haven’t made progress … that’s a real testament to what the #Ukrainians have been able to do“
#Russia intel failures contributing to struggles in #Ukraine – #Moscow had „gaps in intelligence about where the #Ukrainians had things“ per a senior US defense official
Says Ukrainian forces have also been very nimble
#Russia „struggling“ to maintain forces in #Ukraine-worried about keeping campaign going, per a senior US defense official
„Just that they’re talking abt resupply & resourcing tells you that their beginning to get concerned abt longevity here“ per the official

• Und als letztes Detail heute: Die aktuelle Einschätzung der Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) der USA, nach einem Bericht von Bloomberg:

President Vladimir Putin can be expected to brandish threats to use nuclear weapons against the West if stiff Ukrainian resistance to Russia’s invasion continues, draining conventional manpower and equipment, according to a new assessment by the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency.
“Protracted occupation of parts of Ukrainian territory threatens to sap Russian military manpower and reduce their modernized weapons arsenal, while consequent economic sanctions will probably throw Russia into prolonged economic depression and diplomatic isolation,” Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said in its new 67-page summary of worldwide threats. (…)
“As this war and its consequences slowly weaken Russian conventional strength,” Berrier added, “Russia likely will increasingly rely on its nuclear deterrent to signal the West and project strength to its internal and external audiences.”

Das komplette Statement im Wortlaut hier.